ANNETTE MARTIN

Society election has come into question after
the bylaws governing the vote were revealed to
be-null and void by Victoria.
At a February 25 special general meeting, the
Douglas College Student Society (DCSS) passed a

1 [= validity of Douglas College's recent Student

The changes,
DCSS elections are conducted, were used to run the

. new constitution
DCSS election and set of bylaws.
results invalid wich ater tr
process of how
March 1999 Douglas College student elections.

Denny Eddy, an outgoing University Transfer Rep,
tried to bring this to the attention of the Rep
Committee speaker. In response, he says, the speak-
er ruled that the society could operate under the
new bylaws—a direct contradiction to the Society
Act. ;

There appears to be some confusion about which
set of bylaws are, and have been, in effect because
of a mixed use of old and new bylaws throughout |
the months of March and April.

“In her April 15-28 report, vice president external,
Amanda Wheeler, states that she had to assume the
duties of president, “as per Bylaw VILL, Section 2d,”
(the old bylaws).

But if she was acting under the old bylaws in

 

 

 

April, why was the election of represen-
tatives held under the new bylaws in
March?

 

 

 

The British Columbia Society Act, which governs
all non-profit societies in the province—including
Douglas College—requires that all constitutional
and bylaw changes be filed with the registrar.

Furthermore, a government information sheet
stipulates, “these changes do not take effect
until the registrar has accepted them for filing.”

On May 5, “Rose” at the
Societies/Cooperative Unit in Victoria (which
administers the British Columbia Society Act)
returned DCSS documents applying for constitu-
tional changes because, “they had not been
filed in the correct form.”

Therefore, as of May 6, 1999, the old DCSS
bylaws and constitution are the only ones in
effect.

Says Rose, “They can’t act according to those
[new] bylaws until they are filed.”

So would an election run under bylaws that
were.not filed with Victoria be invalid? “Yes, I
would say so,” she agreed.

Rose continued, “I can’t file a new constitu-
tion without specific amendments to the name
and purpose, and to change the bylaws, I need a
form with wording to indicate that the old
bylaws are repealed and the new set is to be
adopted.”

 

 

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May 1999 the Other Press

page 3

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